Not needed, congregation max will be 150 where possible, and 3 or more congregations in each KH. Makes sense, even with extra wear, theoretically the donations will be more consolidated. Have to drive farther, too bad, many bethelites drive 30 to 50 miles to their congregations near Wallkill and Patterson.

Visited one congregation where people drove to all meetings held on Sunday and then back home.

I wonder if they'll go the mainline churches route when the money starts to dry up and start letting the halls be rented out by other groups? Toddler playgroup on a Monday, Satan's Appreciation Group on Wednesdays...

Not needed, congregation max will be 150 where possible, and 3 or more congregations in each KH. Makes sense, even with extra wear, theoretically the donations will be more consolidated. Have to drive farther, too bad, many bethelites drive 30 to 50 miles to their congregations near Wallkill and Patterson.

Hmmmm, a bit of strawman reasoning there I think....

Yes, traditionally two congregations using a Kingdom Hall was thought of as 'ideal' use - you had the Tuesday / Thursday evening meetings then on Sunday you had a morning and an afternoon, with a Sunday rotation every couple of years and now WT wants more congregations using each KH.

But comparing the US to the UK??... there are THREE very big differences:

Firstly, in real terms, there are 43% LESS JWs in Britain than the US when compared to population - this means that a US town of 40,000 will have a congregation of 150, but in Britain the congregation would only have 87 publishers.

Secondly, as a whole, the UK is 800% more densely populated than the US - even the whole of England EXCLUDING London, is more densely populated than the WHOLE of the US (including New York State, but excluding New Jersey and Rhode Island) - but this means that people in the UK are MUCH LESS willing to travel.

Thirdly, in the UK gas costs 245% MORE than in the US (East Coast) - so ANY 'extra' car travel is much more expensive

I have a friend in Morpeth - they were really angry that the Society told them to sell off their KH & decamp to the Ashington KH ( which is about 20 minutes away - some have to travel over 40 minutes if they live in the West of the territory. ) There is real resentment that the building which they paid for & renovated is being sold for 275K - proceeds to the WTBTS. A lot of the JWs are quite elderly there.

I guess this kind of scenario is being repeated all over the world at the moment - something of a fire sale for the society.

Whilst most sub-urban Witnesses in the UK are not used to travelling great distances to halls and territory the majority suck up whatever inconvenience they are put through by the WTS. In my area for instance people have had to travel further whilst hall building has taken place. If they closed a couple of single congregation halls and made people travel then there would be some noises but ultimately very few would vote with their sofas and stop coming.